Watch: Trailer for ‘New York Sack Exchange’ Doc on Jets Controversial Stars

The famed “New York Sack Exchange” has gotten the documentary treatment and ESPN released the trailer and set the premiere date this week.

Oct 13, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets former players Mark Gastineau (99) and Joe Klecko (73) and Marty Lyons serve as honorary captains during the coin toss before the New York Jets faced the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium. The Steelers won the game 19-6. / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

ESPN released the trailer and the premiere date for its 30 for 30 documentary on the famed “New York Sack Exchange” earlier this week.

Called the “New York Sack Exchange,” it is set to premiere on Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. eastern.

News of the documentary was first announced in August.

Directed by Ken Rodgers and James Weiner, the documentary follows the careers of the four New York Jets defensive linemen that made up one of the most feared pass rushes in the NFL in the 1980s — Marty Lyons, Abdul Salaam, Joe Klecko, and Mark Gastineau.

The 30-second trailer, interspersed with game footage, featured Gastineau talking about the unit’s gameday mindset.

“If you hit a quarterback and they got up, then you didn’t do your job,” Gastineau said.  

Including voiceover that said the group “… was a brotherhood,” it also featured Gastineau saying that “Klecko could not stand me,” indicating that the documentary plans to dive into the dynamic between the quartet.

A quarterback hated to see them coming 😤@30for30's ‘The New York Sack Exchange’ | December 13 at 8 PM ET on ESPN 🍿 pic.twitter.com/tsI1ViUXzX

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) November 20, 2024

Footage includes all four members of the line sitting together on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street. It was filmed before Salaam passed away last month.

The trailer ends with Lyons saying, “I’m still trying to forgive and forget.”

When the documentary was announced, ESPN billed it as “…a nostalgic look back at the sensational defensive line of the 1980s New York Jets, a group of larger-than-life personalities that not only terrorized quarterbacks but also captivated an entire city with their flamboyant style and relentless drive.”

They played together for several years in New York, but in 1981 and 1982 they were the game’s dominant pass rush.

In 1981 the four combined for 66 sacks to lead the NFL. Klecko had 20.5 sacks and Gastineau had 20 sacks, with both earning Pro Bowl honors and Klecko earning first-team All-Pro. Salaam had seven sacks and Lyons had 6.5 sacks.

They received the “New York Sack Exchange” nickname after they were invited to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange in November of that year.

In the strike-shortened 1982 season Gastineau was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year as he finished with six sacks. Salaam had 2.5 sacks, Klecko had two sacks and Lyons had 1.5 sacks. The Jets reached the AFC Championship Game before losing to Miami.

That was the last season the quartet played together. Salaam only played one game in 1983 and was traded after the season.

Gastineau became the best-known of the four, as he played nearly a decade and finished his career with 107.5 sacks. He was a four-time first-team All-Pro and a five-time Pro Bowl selection. He’s also a member of the Jets Ring of Honor and a member of the franchise’s four-decade team.

Klecko played a decade for the Jets and was the 1981 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He was a two-time first-team All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl selection. Like Gastineau, he is a member of the Jets Ring of Honor and his No. 73 is retired after a career with 78 sacks. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year.

Lyons played his entire career with the Jets and had 29 sacks. He was the 1984 NFL Man of the Year and is in the Jets Ring of Honor.

Salaam played seven seasons for the Jets and had 21 career sacks.